Former Bergen freeholder Hermansen to seek Assembly seat

Former Bergen County Freeholder Robert Hermansen announced Tuesday that he is running for the Republican nomination for state Assembly in the 39th District.

He joins a potentially crowded field of GOP candidates seeking to replace Assemblyman Robert Schroeder, R-Washington Township, who is under indictment on charges of stealing from people who lent him money and writing bad checks to creditors.

Hermansen, a former Mahwah councilman who lost a bid for reelection to the freeholder board in November, said he planned to formally announce his candidacy at a meeting of the Republican County Committee in Hackensack Tuesday night.

“I was honored for three years to serve the people of Bergen County for three years as freeholder and I’m looking forward to continuing to serve as their assemblyman,” Hermansen said.

Schroeder so far has resisted calls from party leaders to step down from the Assembly, where he has served since 2010. An indictment issued on Dec. 21 accuses him of stealing $1.89 million from five people who lent him money for a business venture and with writing 47 bad checks to 12 individuals who lent him money.

County Republican Chairman Bob Yudin, who is among those who has called on Schroeder to resign, said he has not heard from him.

However, Yudin said he has heard from several people who have said they are interested in running for that seat.

“The world seems interested in that one,” Yudin quipped.

He said among the other people who have expressed an interest in running are:

Karen Mastriano, a Saddle River councilwoman and former clerk to the freeholder board.

Victor M. Polce, the mayor of Old Tappan

Cynthia Waneck, a Westwood councilwoman

Bob Auth of Old Tappan, an ally of State Sen. Gerald Cardinale.

He said the next step in the process likely will be in early February when the Northeast Bergen County Republican Organization meets to make its recommendations.